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Last updated 6:03PM ET
February 12, 2012
KPLU Local News
KPLU Local News
Congressman Dicks Responds To Earmarks Story
Austin Jenkins (2010-07-10)
Congressman Norm Dicks, D - WA (6th). AP photo.
OLYMPIA, WA (N3) - Washington Congressman Norm Dicks is angrily denying a story about a Congressional earmark for a high-tech buoy system on Puget Sound. The story was first published by the Huffington Post Investigative Fund. The Seattle Times reprinted a version of if this week and public radio also picked it up. The story suggests Dicks is trying to get around a self-imposed ban on no-bid earmarks for for-profit companies. Dicks, who's chairman of the defense appropriations subcommittee, says there's no truth to the accusation.

Norm Dicks: "This isn't an ethics question. It's a question about appropriations. And I have said we will not give earmarks to private companies and we won't. And I have banned it for the rest of the committee. And I will not let this happen and if it does happen we will rescind the money."

At issue is a six-point-two million dollar earmark Dicks has requested on behalf of the University of Washington. It's for high-tech buoys to monitor the health of Puget Sound. They will join a network of buoys developed in part by a Port Townsend company called Intellicheck Mobilisa. It's received previous earmarks. But Dicks says none of the money in the latest earmark would go to the company.

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